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September 5, 2015

NWS Alumnus Joins Florida Orchestra

by JHeller

New World Symphony Oboe Fellow John Upton (2014-2015) will join the Florida Orchestra in Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater as Prin­ci­pal Oboe, in time for the start of their new season. Upton joins the orchestra just as new music director Michael Francis takes the helm of the institution, “Only the orchestra’s fourth con­duc­tor ever, he is expected to infuse the 47-year-old orga­ni­za­tion with a shot of youth­ful energy.” Fran­cis first met Upton at the New World Sym­phony and he won the oboe chair in the blind audi­tions over 50 other appli­cants. 

Click here to read the arti­cle in the Tampa Bay Times

Upton joins nine other NWS alumni at the orchestra on Florida's west coast. They are James Con­nors (1988) Prin­ci­pal Cello, Ali­son Heydt (viola 1990–1992), John Kehayas (bas­soon 1988–1990), Anna Kate Mackle (1998−1999) Prin­ci­pal Harp, Erika Shrauger (clar­inet 1989–1991), Robert Rear­den (2006−2010) Prin­ci­pal Horn, Andrew Karr (horn 1998–2000), Nancy Chang (vio­lin 2003–2006) Asso­ciate Con­cert­mas­ter, and Anthony George­son (2006−2007) Prin­ci­pal Bassoon.

And on the staff at Florida Orchestra are NWS’ very first music librar­ian, Ella Fredrick­son, Prin­ci­pal Librar­ian, and for­mer NWS Orches­tra Man­ager Ed Par­sons, Artis­tic Oper­a­tions Director.

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Posted in: Alumni, Fellows, In the News